Monitoring operating parameters as well as controlling input/output (I/O) and/or feedback circuits, such as pulse width modulation (PWM) circuits, of a power circuit/supply presents a challenge and can be expensive, especially over an isolation barrier. When using small embedded microcontrollers for system control, there are not many resources left for communication and command interface functions. This presents a challenge in terms of the processing time required to process a message or frame while maintaining data integrity. Data that needs to be communicated at a certain update rate is of particular concern. Thus, there is a need in the art for a communication protocol for resource-limited devices which can communicate data rapidly, flexibly, efficiently and reliably without consuming too many processing resources.